The Vanderburgh County Redevelopment Commission will hold a meeting on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. in Room 301 of the Civic
USI, SWI-AHEC partner with EVSC for Public Health Camp
The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center (SICTC), in collaboration with Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center (SWI-AHEC), is hosting a one-week summer public health camp, Go Viral: Be a Disease Detective. The camp is for students currently in the seventh and eighth grades in Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties who are interested in exploring epidemiology and careers in public health. The camp will be held in the morning, June 3-7, 2019, at the SICTC, 1901 Lynch Road in Evansville.
Dr. Erin Reynolds, assistant professor of Health Services in the College of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of Southern Indiana, and Gwen Barnett, Health Science Education instructor at SICTC, will lead a variety of activities to teach students about epidemiology, food safety, global health, using a microscope and how to collect and analyze data.
Photo and Interview Opportunity: On Tuesday, June 4 between 8:30 and 10 a.m., Go Viral “detectives†will don protective gear (gloves, gowns and head coverings) to investigate a simulated food poisoning outbreak. More details at USI.edu/SWI-AHEC or www.SICTC.com. For more information, contact Kerseclia Patterson, academic outreach coordinator, at 812-228-5048 or kpatterson@usi.edu.
Southwest Indiana AHEC began as a regional center in 2008, and it is hosted by the University of Southern Indiana in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. SWI-AHEC is part of a national network with a mission to improve health by leading the nation in the recruitment, training and retention of a diverse health workforce for underserved communities.
For more information about SWI-AHEC, contact Jane Friona, executive director, at 812-461-5446 or at jefriona@usi.edu
JUST IN: Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office Is Currently Investigating The Abandonment Of Award Of The State Of Kentucky
The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office is currently investigating the abandonment of award of the State of Kentucky. The victim, Randy Smith, a resident of Hartford, KY, was a ward of the State of Kentucky because of his disabilities.
On 05-31-2019 he died at Select Specialties Hospital in Evansville where, under the supervision of the State of Kentucky, he was receiving treatment. Upon his death, The Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services was contacted and notified of the death.
The State of Kentucky has since stated that since he died in Indiana he was no longer their responsibility and at this time he is an abandoned body. The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office is currently attempting to make appropriate arrangements for the victim.
Please contact the State of Kentucky Jennifer Rosenberg-Matters Kentucky Fiduciary and Cabinet of Health and Family or Jennifer.Rosenberg@ky.gov  or 502-564-3480 Ext. 3480
Katina Hayden-Supervisor State of Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family at 270-683-5387.
Obituary Of Stanley  Keith Combs
Obituary Of Stanley  Keith Combs
Koehler Funeral Homes-Chandler and Boonville
Stanley Keith Combs, 63, formerly of Evansville, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, at Woodmont Health Campus in Boonville Indiana.
Stan was born May 19, 1956, in Evansville, Indiana to the late Keith Allen and Wilma Bateman Combs.
He is survived by his sister; Teresa Allen (Ken), Brother; Chris Combs (Kara), Nephews; Shane Allen (Ariel) of Evansville, Kevin Allen (Vanessa) of Jacksonville, Florida and Cayman Combs of Boonville In, Great Nephews; Skyler and Eli of Jacksonville, North Carolina, Uncles; Gene Combs (Debbie) of Plainfield In, Charles Bateman of Woodbury Minnesota, Aunts; Helen Elzer of Evansville, Edith Bullock of Boonville, Martha Heitcamp (Peter)of Middle Town Springs Vermont, and Debbie Combs of Plainfield Indiana.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Aunts; Vera Combs, Carolyn Combs, Betty Combs, Lois Gorrell, Nera Schultze, Ruth Stamps, Uncles; Tim Schultze, Bill Combs, and Donald Elzer.
Stan was an avid bowler and worked at Arc Lanes for many years. He was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. He worked for the Ayrshire Coal Mine in Elberfeld. He worked at Colonial Garden Center and for Combs Landscape and Nursery for many years until he was unable to work any longer.
Stan loved amusement parks. His favorites were Kings Island and Opryland. He loved trains, playing solitaire and word search puzzles. He was an early U.S. history war buff. He had an extensive collection of video and books on wars from the Revolutionary War through the present day. He traveled to battlefields of Kentucky and Tennessee.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, from 6 P.M. until 8 P.M. at Koehler Funeral Home, 304 East Main Street, Boonville Indiana, 47601.
Memorial contributions may be made to The American Diabetes Association or The American Heart Association.
Obituary Of Bernard  “Bud” Wagner
Boonville, IN. – Bernard “Bud†Wagner, age 78, best known as Papaw, peacefully passed away at home, on Friday, May 31, 2019. His loving, but a little eccentric wife, Jane, was by his side.
After his retirement from Alcoa in 2004, Bud enjoyed sneaking out to his favorite restaurant, Mr. Gatti’s, in Boonville, going to the garage to do woodwork and pretending to be hard of hearing. In his younger years, he could be found on his Honda Goldwing with his ponytail flapping in the wind. When Bud met Jane, sadly Bud’s ponytail met its fate.
Bud was a man of little words but his facial expressions spoke wonders. His favorite quote was “what do they need?†With four kids, that’s just what you do, right!?
He is survived by his wife, Jane Wagner; children, Ronald Wagner (Arin); Tamara Shiver (Mark); Sarah Fulton (Richard); Ashley Riddick (Jon); grandchildren, Jacob, Austin, Jordyn, Skye, Anna, Emilee, Abby, and Stella.
Bud did not want a funeral, so, in lieu of flowers, go to your local Dairy Queen and have ice cream and remember “Old Guys Rule!†For monetary donations please donate to VNA Deaconess Hospice or Davita Dialysis.
Bud will be greatly missed by his wife, children, and grandchildren but is now happily in heaven with his parents, siblings, and grandbaby.
To send flowers to the family of Bernard “Bud” Wagner, please visit Tribute Store.
“IS IT TRUE” JUNE 3, 2019
We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUEâ€Â will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way.
IS IT TRUE everyday members of our local law enforcement work many scenes of shootings several times every week?  …they also chase and apprehend suspects fleeing the scene of the shootings? …we are proud of our men and women in blue for help keeping our community safe from bad people?…the next time you see our first responders please give them five (5) “thumbs up” for doing a great job in protecting us?
IS IT TRUE we want to commend Evansville Police Department media spokesman Jason Cullum for doing an outstanding job of keeping the public aware of the policing activities of the EPD? Â …Jason Cullum is considered to be one of the top law enforcement media spokesmen in Indiana?
IS IT TRUE several years ago we predicted when Ben Shoulders (D) was elected to the Vanderburgh County Commissioner the Commission will start conducting themselves in a non-partisan manner? …we are pleased that the Vanderburgh County Commissioners are making a well thought out decision based on “Good Policy Policy”? …that County Commissioners Cheryl Musgrave, Ben Shoulders, and Jeff Hatfield are making us glad that they were elected the “Three Mayors Of Vanderburgh County”?
IS IT TRUEÂ it looks like the era of the Superintendent of EVSC schools always getting his way with the school board members may be coming to an end? …we give five (5) cheers to Ann Ennis for encouraging EVSC officials to adhere to the “Open Door and Freedom Of Information Laws”?
IS IT TRUE that the McCurdy one million dollars plus water bill issue has been out of the news for a long time? …that the lawsuit between the City and the Kunkel Group won’t be coming to trial until January 2020? …the McCurdy is a classic example of how bad things can get when politics get in the way of business?  …that our City officials seemly fail asleep at the wheel during the refurbishment of this historic building? …if the Evansville water department would have done their due diligence by inspecting the installing of the water/sewer service open loop geothermal system at the time it was installed it would have been discovered and corrected?  …we also wonder if the McCurdy water and sewer bills payment are current?
IS IT TRUE that last year Deaconess Hospital and Henderson Community Methodist Hospital formed a group called an “ACO?” Â …that “ACO” is where referrals are preferably kept within the group and only certain doctors at Deaconess and Methodist are invited to be a part of that group? Â …we wonder how the “ACO” referral group between Deaconess Hospital and Henderson Community Methodist Hospital is currently doing?
IS IT TRUE that Deaconess Hospital is now advertising on TV that they are “A Deaconess Network Affiliate of Methodist Hospital?  …we wonder what this is all about?
IS IT TRUE according to the Washington Post the average millennial net worth is $8,000 less than the previous generations?
IS IT TRUE during his last year in office City Councilman John Friend, CPA sponsored a “separation of funds ordinance” in order to ensure that the City Controller would not manipulate general fund balances?  … upon the urging of the City Controller and the former City Council Finance Chairman, Dan McGinn the newly elected City Council voted to repeal this ordinance?  ...we hear that the money collected from all income sources are now put into one (1) fund account which makes it extremely hard to track on how much money is in each city account on a weekly basis?  …could this be the main reason why key fund accounts haven’t been balanced for 10 out of 11 months last year?
IS IT TRUE we are hearing that several local Democratic attorneys are vying to replace the current Evansville City Council attorney Josh Claybourn a Republican who lives in Newburgh?
IS IT TRUE if only the powers that be would have listened to past County Commission Dave Mosby, Vanderburgh County wouldn’t be experiencing today’s overcrowding problem at the county jail?
IS IT TRUE we have been told because of the increases in the County Income Option Tax (CIOT) and the Wheel Tax that Vanderburgh County now has the money to fund a reasonable expansion of the county jail?
IS IT TRUE that over the years that there has been talked about locating a “Slack Water Port” in the Evansville area?  …that the need for such a port is because many of our goods being shipped by containers?  …that many of thousands of containers arrive at the “Slack Water  Port” in Owensboro, Kentucky each week?  …we wonder why haven’t our elected city and county officials looked into developing a “Slack Water Port” in Evansville?
IS IT TRUE we would like to thank long-time supporter and friend Joe Wallace for his help with the City-County Observer during the time that our publisher was facing serious health problems? Â …that Joe Wallace is a shining example of what true friendship is all about?
Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Are you pleased that Ann Ennis is encouraging the EVSC officials to adhere to the “Open Door and Freedom Of Information Laws”?
Please take time and read our newest feature articles entitled “OBITUARIES, LEFT JAB, AND RIGHT JAB,  BIRTHDAYS, AND HOT JOBS†posted in our sections.  Oh, You can now be able to subscribe to get the CCO daily.
If you would like to advertise in the CCO please contact us City-County Observer@live.com.
EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.
City-County Observer Comment Policy. Be kind to people. Personal attacks or harassment will not be tolerated and will be removed from our site.
Ann Ennis Wants EVSC’s To Adhere to Open Door and Freedom Of Information Laws
June 3, 2019
Special to City-County Observer From Ann M. Ennis
In response to the City-County Observer’s request for a written comment about the content of the May 26, 2019, Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation Board of Trustees meeting, I offer five statements.
- The EVSC Board of School Trustees is a member of the Indiana School Boards Association and through that membership, EVSC Trustees receive training. In two sessions of New Board Training (totaling 5.5 hours plus two trips to Jasper, IN) and in a recent webinar titled “Open Door Law†the ISBA highly recommends that school boards avoid Executive Sessions as a matter of routine.
- According to the ISBA webinar, which all school trustees throughout Indiana have been provided as part of continuing education training, “Courts will look at Executive Session very closely in determining if it is lawful Executive Session… (the) opportunity to have an Executive Session is limited and (a board) cannot expand on these instances to have an Executive Session.â€Â
- Since my election, the EVSC Board of School Trustees has had 2-hour Executive Sessions prior to every Regular School Board meeting. This is public knowledge, as the occurrence of Executive Session is posted to the public prior to each session.
- I am impressed by the breadth, depth, passion and striving for excellence I see in the EVSC as a citizen, taxpayer, former EVSC student, former EVSC parent and now as an EVSC Trustee. It is no small thing to be an open admission, welcoming all comers, unified school system with more than 22,500 students, thousands of employees and scores of facilities. Educating National Merit Scholars, national award-winning academic honors students, and also educating profoundly physically and mentally handicapped students, with every step in between – as well as providing a host of services to private and parochial schools that cannot provide the expected level of service — is a challenge. The EVSC staff from top to bottom is working honestly, diligently and consistently to meet and exceed goals.
- Holding Executive Sessions that are longer than Regular School Board meetings on a routine basis hurts the credibility of the EVSC and invites distrust. People do not see the work that is taking place: They should see the work the schools do. A community-supported school system needs to engage the community. Â
I will continue to support the EVSC’s adherence to Open Door and Freedom of Information laws to benefit all students, staff, parents, and residents. By engaging the community in the work, wisdom, and even the worries we have, our schools will accomplish even more.
By the way, I also wish that our many voucher and Scholarship Granting Organization-funded private and parochial schools would adhere to Open Door Laws – but the state does not require that.  This is an entirely different conversation for another day.
Commentary: What Americans Think About Abortion
Commentary: What Americans Think About Abortion
By John Krull
TheStatehouseFile.comÂ
INDIANAPOLIS – The recent opaque U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding one of Indiana’s abortion laws sent the tea-leaf readers into overdrive.
America’s high court ruled that abortion providers could be forced by the state to bury or cremate fetal remains. But it refused to comment on the portion of the state law that would have criminalized abortion if the mother chose to end the pregnancy because of the fetus’s race or because it would be born with certain birth defects. That means a lower court ruling striking down that portion of the law stands.
John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com
The ruling itself might not have sparked much comment at another time.
But since Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, and Louisiana, among other states, have engaged in a race to get the most draconian abortion laws possible on the books in hopes of overturning Roe vs. Wade, every abortion case before the Supreme Court now receives the most intense scrutiny.
Both sides in the white-hot reproductive rights debate could discern smoke signals that seemed to support their position.
The fact that the court decided to allow states to impose an additional burden on Planned Parenthood reassured the anti-abortion crowd. And the justices’ refusal to allow the state to thought-police women seeking abortions offered consolation to those who believe in reproductive rights.
The thinking on both sides seems to be that we’re headed for a high-stakes, winner-take-all legal battle regarding abortion.
But what if they’re wrong?
What if the justices are trying to do what America’s politicians either have failed to do or really haven’t even tried to do?
What if the court is looking for a way to interpret the law that reflects what Americans really believe regarding abortion?
A study of the polls over the past few decades reveals a remarkable consistency. The reality is that Americans’ thinking about abortion hasn’t changed much over the years.
Just under 30 percent of Americans say they support abortion in any circumstances. Just under 20 percent say they oppose abortion under any circumstance.
Those are the extremes in the debate – and, as is so often the case in America these days, they are the ones driving and dominating the discussion.
They do this even though neither group represents anything close to a majority.
Beyond those extremes, though, there are points that reflect something closer to consensus.
Over the years, somewhere between 60 percent and 70 percent of Americans have said they believe abortion should be legal. A little more than half, though, say there should be some restrictions on ending a pregnancy.
In other words, most Americans want abortion to be an option, but they want some limits on that option.
The question is: Where should those lines be drawn?
Again, the polls offer some insight.
Most Americans – between 80 and 90 percent – believe abortion is justified to protect the life of the mother. Nearly two-thirds support ending a pregnancy in the first trimester. Another strong majority supports abortion in cases of rape or incest.
Support for abortion as an option, though, drops as the pregnancy progresses. Most Americans oppose abortion in the second and third trimesters.
But, again, their positions aren’t unqualified.
Majorities of Americans ranging from slightly more than 50 percent to more than 80 percent support abortion even in the third trimester if the mother’s life is in danger, if the child will be born with a life-threatening illness, if the baby will have a birth defect or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.
All this makes clear that Americans have nuanced, even sophisticated understandings of the moral and ethical challenges abortion presents.
Unfortunately, that nuance and sophistication rarely are reflected in the political debate over reproductive rights.
That’s going to be the case so long as we allow the most strident voices on both sides to hog the conversation. We’ll continue to have fight after fight after fight, but no victories.
And no solutions.
Maybe, just maybe, the Supreme Court will try to change that.
Let’s hope.
FOOTNOTE: John Krull is the director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
This article was posted by the City-County Observer without bias or editing.